3 – 5 foot SLR new forecast by 8 nation Arctic Council
AMAP is the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program based in Norway. It is a continuing scientific study organized by the Arctic Council––the 8 nations that border the Arctic: Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States.
They recently released the Executive Summary of a new report: "Snow, Water, Ice, and Permafrost in the Arctic."
They delivered 12 key findings, one of which directly updates projected sea level rise. Their finding is that by the end of this century that global sea level will rise between 0.9-1.6 meters, which equates to roughly 3-5 feet.
The study group includes about 400 scientists internationally. Of course the Arctic is extremely concerned about the melting ice, not only due to its impact on Sea Level Rise, but also due to the impact of the melting ice sheets on their way of life and ecosystem.
Impacts include the iconic polar bear, the important reindeer herds in Scandinavia, and the way of life for the Inuit, the people of the Arctic.
While a relatively small remote area, the polar regions are carefully watch by scientists, governments, and citizens worldwide, since the amount of ice stored on Greenland, Antarctica, and glaciers directly determines the sea level worldwide.
If all the ice were to melt, global sea level would rise by approximately 80 meters, or 265 feet. There is still considerable disagreement about how soon that could possibly happen. Some believe it would take thousands of years; others, including prominent NASA scientist Dr. James Hansen, believe it could happen much sooner–in a matter of centuries–if we allow the level of greenhouse gases to continue to rise at the current rate.
More information about AMAP can be found at http://amap.no